7 October 2009 – a storm and a good deed

Today was more of the same. We spent the morning learning how to take a basic order for the product we learned about yesterday afternoon, same process as yesterday, Dev demonstrating on the big screen, practice, test then role play. This time we were supposed to ‘reinforce the benefit’ of said product to the pretend customer. Personally I couldn’t see the point of the reinforcing, I mean, if the customer has called to make an order they obviously know the benefit of the product or they wouldn’t have phoned to buy it. Like last time Kim and I were last and we had to go through the indignity of having everyone listen in. When Jas praised my reinforcing, telling everyone what a good point I’d made about peace of mind knowing there was a two year guarantee I felt stupidly proud of myself.

There was another latte at lunchtime and more product training this afternoon. Then, just as we were all nodding off the heavens opened. The rain was dashing against the window so hard we could hardly hear Dev speaking and the view outside, actually quite interesting because we’re so high up, disappeared behind a wall of water. Any pretence of listening to Dev, who was manfully struggling to carry on as if nothing was happening, went by the wayside with the first flash of lightning. In the end even Dev was looking out marvelling at the storm.

Although the thunder and lightning had stopped by the time we left the office it was still raining heavily. So heavily it was hard to see more than a few yards and the road outside the building looked like a river. It was dark, way too dark for five thirty on an early October evening, but that was probably down to the black cloud overhead.

“How are you getting home?” Kim asked as we stood under the shelter of the reception entrance.
“Bus,” I said, thinking I was going to be pretty sodden after the ten minute walk to the bus stop and even wetter after the five minute walk at the other end.
“Would you like a lift? My car is parked just across the road and I pass through your village on my way home so it’s not out of my way.”
So we pulled our collars up around our ears and made a run for it. Even then my hair was dripping into my eyes and my shoes were full of water from wading through the river road. Imagine what I’d have been like if I’d had to walk all the way to the bus stop. Kim is a hero.